The Boundaries of Parents
by ravenwings5
Summary: Van and Fiona have enjoyed peace on Zi for two years now. They also have a one-year old son that completes their family. The Freiheits must make an unbearable choice to protect their family and the work of the Guardian Force.
1. Prologue

"Van," Fiona whispered in the dark, "someone wants to say something to you."

Captain Van Freiheit looked down from his Blade Liger to see his wife holding their young son. He immediately hopped down from his cockpit and grabbed a beautiful blonde-headed, green-eyed boy.

"And what exactly does he have to say?"

"G'night, daddy." The boy replied sleepily.

Van spoke softly to his wife. "You shouldn't have brought him here, he's about to collapse from exhaustion." Fiona had taken her son in the village and spent all morning and evening there. Van stayed at the base doing routine maintenance on his Zoid.

"He won't sleep until he sees you." Fiona answered him innocently.

The captain smiled at his wife and son. A worried look crept into his eyes. He began to think of everything that he and Fiona had been through ever since he met her. He smiled again because he wouldn't have traded any of it.

She looked up at her husband and knew what he was thinking. It made her wonder what he was worrying about. She decided not to bring it up until the next day.


	2. Evolution of Zoids

Fiona awoke early the next morning and noticed that Van had already left. _"Why doesn't that surprise me?"_ She thought to herself. After getting dressed, she went down the hall to her son's bedroom.

The base's dorm was spacious and well furnished. As a captain in the Guardian Force, Van was able to provide his family with everything they needed. Fiona had decorated their home with mementos of past achievements and future goals. Pictures of friends and family had heavy emphasis on the walls. It gave the place a sense of comfort and serenity.

She walked in quietly to the little boy's room. He woke up as soon as he heard his mother enter the room. "You are you're father's son." She told him proudly. Van hadn't been a light sleeper since his son was born.

"It's time to get you dressed. Would you like to see your dad at work, today?"

The boy gave a wide smile and clapped excitedly.

She looked down at him and smiled back. "That's what I thought."

It was a short trip to base headquarters. Fiona sensed something wrong, but hid her feelings from the child she was holding. She walked through all the security measures and finally entered the strategy room. Captain Thomas Schubaltz and Colonel Karl Schubaltz were discussing something with Colonel Rob Herman.

"Why, good morning, Mrs. Freiheit." Thomas looked at the child that entered the room with her. "And how is the little one doing?"

"He'll probably be asleep in a matter of minutes. We spent all day in the village yesterday."

The boy walked over to the computers where Zoids design and specs were being studied. Each screen had a different Zoid on it. There seemed to be one in particular that caught his eye.

"Just like his father." Both colonels said in unison.

"Guess that rules out nap time." Karl walked over to Fiona's son and stared at the Zoid with him.

"Is that the new Liger Zoid Dr. D has been working on?"

"Oh, I forgot, you haven't been around the base lately. This is Dr. D's pride and joy." Thomas answered Fiona. He looked at her and remembered his feelings for her. The captain had come a long way from the first time he met her. Van was no longer his rival, he was one of his best friends and he trusted him completely in battle. Thomas knew that Fiona only loved Van and her son. He learned to live with it and he had become sincerely happy for her.

"We're very pleased with the progress that has been made with this Zoid. Hopefully, it'll have capabilities that exceed the Blade Liger." Rob beamed with pride as he looked at the computer.

Fiona asked if there had been any progress with the actual Liger.

"Nothing has changed since our last meeting. Van is ready to take him for a test drive. In fact, he's in the hangar now." Karl picked the little boy up and left him staring at the ivory Zoid from over his shoulder. He was followed closely by Fiona, Rob, and his brother.

Van was going over some weapon changes with a technician when he heard Karl enter the hangar. He looked up to see him holding his son, and he smiled as the little boy held out his arms towards his father.

"Hi there, big fellow!" He lifted the boy up high over his head. "And where did your mother run off to?"

Van turned around to see Fiona staring at the new Liger. She didn't seem to pay attention to anything else that was happening around her. Van gave her an odd look, but he figured she was just mesmerized by what she saw.

"Captain, you might want to see what the technicians have come up with for the new Liger. It meets your weapon requirements, with a small twist." He followed the tech to a lab room upstairs.

"Gentlemen, if you'll have a seat. Um, Captain Freiheit, don't you think your wife would want to be here, too?"

He glanced out the window towards the ground. Fiona began to walk around the Liger in circles. Zeke walked with her, making the same inspections. She seemed fine, so Van decided to leave her alone.

"Its okay, Catherine, you can proceed with the briefing."

"Very well, sir. The original concept for this project was to design a Zoid that would have the capabilities of three Zoids combined. To do this, a Zoid would have to be the size of the Genobreaker, but it would lack the same agility. After weeks of deliberating this predicament, the techs and I have found a rather simple solution."

"Really? Please go on." Dr. D stepped into the room and sat down next to Van.

Catherine was taken aback by the scientist's reappearance. He had disappeared two weeks ago, around the time of the Liger weapons debate.

"Dr. D?" she simply stated before moving on. "Yes, well, let me show you what you I'm talking about."

She pulled up a screen in the middle of the table. It showed the white Liger exactly as it was in the room beneath them. She pressed a button on the table, which activated a panel to roll over and reveal a keyboard. After typing in a few commands, the Liger split apart and began rotating 360 degrees.

"We've decided the Liger can _become_ the three different Zoids it was intended to be, while actually _gaining _agility, for the most part. The main Liger as it is seen here, is named the Liger Zero." Catherine seemed pleased with herself as the officers looked at the screen in amazement.

"The first CAS, or conversion armor system, of the Liger is the speed mode."

"That's not a very creative name." Dr. D observed.

"I know, sir, but we've just now finished the CAS's. The names are a work in a progress." She seemed puzzled by the comment, but continued her presentation.

Again, she typed in a few commands and new parts attached to the main body. "Type one matches the speed and agility of the Lightning Saix, with it's own unique style. Next, we have the blades unit. Its strike laser claw is combined with blades to give it the edge of the Blade Liger. Speed is sacrificed in this mode, but not as much as you might think."

The Liger split apart for the second time to make way for the new parts. Catherine still wasn't finished. The Zoid virtually split apart for the last time to produce the final unit.

"The final unit is based on a massive weapons attack mode. According to my calculations, speed is decreased dramatically, if it's there at all. The last parts combination is so heavy that it might be better used as a stationary weapons unit, providing support in long range combat against heavy forces. All of this is theoretical; we have yet to test the new components."

Van stood up and leaned against the table. He stared at each of the CAS's individually, making mental notes as he looked. Karl stood beside him and asked if a test run had been scheduled, yet.

"Not that I know of. I know the parts were being specially built, but I had no idea that this is how they would be used."

Catherine had a worried look on her face as she saw the other men sitting there, speechless. She cleared her throat, "Questions? Comments?"

Thomas was busy printing out the specs for each design. He made his own calculations and they matched the technicians. A small grin appeared on his face as he looked at his friend and brother. "I like it. In fact, I like it a lot!"

Rob took the empty seat besides Dr. D and asked him what he thought about the project.

"I have been a Republican scientist for years. Now, I work for the Guardian Force as their chief scientist. These youngsters have a lot to learn still." Catherine's face fell as she heard these words, but the doctor wasn't finished. "But as Thomas so eloquently put it, I like it a lot! I'm not going to be around to baby-sit forever. I have to be sure that my crew understands what they're doing."

"I believe in them. After all, they were guided by the best." Rob gave the young technician a smile.

"I know they were!" Dr. D agreed.

Karl and Van hadn't said anything the whole time. They finally looked up and nodded their heads towards the others.

"You guys, I believe I speak for the colonel as well by saying this is a fantastic job! I can't wait to get into that cockpit!" His son's laughter let everybody know of his approval, too.

Meanwhile, Fiona was chatting with Zeke as they finished their tour of the new Zoid.

"Impressive, isn't it Zeke?" Zeke gave a small roar of approval.

The officers and the tech came out of the lab room to meet Fiona and the organoid. Van handed their son over to his wife, and Zeke immediately took a place in front of the child.

"He's like a big brother. He loves this child as much as we do." Fiona smiled at Van as he petted Zeke on the head.

"Man, Fiona, you should see the progress they're making on this Zoid. It's going to be unbeatable when it's through." He briefed her on what she missed during the meeting. She looked amazed the whole time he was explaining the systems to her.

"Sounds like someone found himself a new toy!" She grinned at Van again.

The baby boy bounced and squirmed in his mother's arms, telling her to put him down. She obliged and he went straight for the new Liger. He sat in front of it, never letting his eyes leave it for a moment.

"I think I know who that somebody is, too." Van smirked at his wife and friends.

Suddenly, Fiona turned towards the window at the same time Zeke did. "Did you hear that?"

Van looked around cautiously before replying he hadn't heard anything unusual. "What's the matter, Fiona?"

She put her hand to her heart and looked at her husband with a fake smile. "It's probably just the usual noise a base makes during a busy day."

Everybody gave an uncomfortable laugh, trying to assure Fiona it really was nothing. They all knew better than to take Fiona's feelings for granted. Ancient Zoidians, especially mothers, knew exactly what was going on at all times.


	3. Reconnaissance

A young man and woman made their way off the base the same way they had come. After making sure they weren't followed, they made it to the jeep and drove off quickly.

"What do you think, Spence? Can all they say be true?" The young lady broke the silence. Her long brown hair was flying everywhere in the wind.

Her partner shrugged his shoulders as he drove. "It is the Guardian Force. They have come up with astounding achievements."

She nodded her head. She sat back and looked up at the cloudy sky. "Guess we're going to have our work cut out for us."

"Let's tell the others what we know before we decide to take this mission. I'm willing to take it, but I can't do this without you and the others." Spence looked over at his partner. She was still looking up at the sky.

The two drove until they came to the boundary between the desert and an oasis. Spence slowed down when he neared a village and turned left. Beyond the village was their headquarters, a building that looked similar to a two-story apartment complex.

Entering the complex, Spence and his comrade walked through a large lounge area. From there, they headed down the hall. There was only one room on the right. Another young man and woman were sitting at a round table in the middle of the room.

"Since we're all here, we better get started." Spence put down a packet of pictures. "I'll let Angel go first."

The brunette stood up in front of the table. She quickly tied back her hair in a bun and began with the briefing.

"The Guardian Force has come quite a ways with their new Liger Zero Zoid. Go ahead and take a look at the reconnaissance pictures we took. I think you'll find them interesting."

Each member took a look at the various pictures, starting from the beginning phases until they reached the more recent ones.

"Nice! Is it as fierce as it looks?" The girl with the dark purple hair asked.

"What are you talking about, Jaq? It's just a Liger Zoid." The man with steel gray eyes looked skeptical.

Angel chuckled, "But that is where you're wrong, Nick. The technicians over at the Guardian Force have revolutionized the way this Liger fights. I wasn't able to take pictures today, but I can give you the details Spence and I overheard."

She began briefing the rest exactly as Catherine had briefed the officers. Spence picked up the pictures and began to draw her descriptions on them. Nick and Jaq paid close attention to all the details.

"So, this Liger can actually transform into three different Zoids? Have they tested it?" Nick was showing more interest.

Spence answered him. "Everything we just said is hypothetical. We know that they have the components built, and the Liger is ready to be tested, but they haven't done anything. Our best course of action is to wait for them to test the Zoid before we take it."

"First, we all have to be willing to do this job. It's not going to be easy. Van and the Guardian Force are no rookies."

"Are you the president of Van's fan club, Angel?" Nick raised an eyebrow as he looked at the brunette.

"I believe it's dangerous to underestimate your enemy. Van is the pilot that destroyed the Deathsaur and the Death Stinger. Neither Prozen nor Hiltz were able to stop him, even after they defeated everyone else."

"And you can't forget Raven." Jaq could feel Angel and Nick's cold stares, so she kept her head down.

Spence interjected, "Raven was considered the best pilot in the Empire. He met Van and their matches are legendary. He was defeated in the Genosaur."

"But the Guardian Force never could take out his Genobreaker."

"They didn't need to after Raven joined them to defeat the Ultimate Deathsaur."

Nick rocked back and forth slightly in his chair. "So?"

"If we're going to take the new Liger away from them, we have to be smart about it. The direct approach has never been successful." Angel had a gleam in her eyes that everyone smiled at when they noticed. She had a plan, and as the group's strategy expert, she never let them down.

"Engaging Van and the GF in battle would be pointless, when there is a better approach that could be taken."

"I knew you had to be thinking of something. What is it?" Jaq was looking impatient.

"We're going to have wait. Let's see how the test goes before we start putting too much time and effort into a plan. Van said they had no test scheduled as of yet, but he seemed too eager to put off a test for long."

"I'm guessing you and Spence will continue your recon work. Then maybe we'll hear this brilliant plan of yours." Nick gave Angel a sly grin as she gave him a wink.

Spence stood up to leave. "I think I'll go outside and check on my Zoid. I suggest everybody do the same. We haven't done any maintenance on them since our return from the last battle."

The tall red-headed man led the group to a small maintenance facility in the back. Two Zoids were on the right and two were on the left. He headed towards an Iron Kong, while Nick headed to the Zaber Fang on the other side. Angel began running diagnostic tests on one of the Helcats, while Jaq did the same to hers.

The mercenaries worked until Nick pointed out something to the rest of the lance. "I think we have an advantage over Prozen and Hiltz."

Spence walked around his Zoid to look Nick in the eyes. "What are you talking about, man?"

"Think about it. Both of those guys were too cocky and relied too much on power to achieve their goals. That didn't get them very far, did it?"

Angel and Jaq stopped what they were doing and thought about this for a moment. Slowly, they went back to work, finishing up what they were doing.

When Jaq was done, she walked over to the two guys and joined the conversation. "I understand what you're saying. The Ultimate Deathsaur was even defeated. We could actually take the GF because we rely on our skills."

"Exactly! If we had to go into battle, we could do it."

Spence and Angel remained doubtful. Both teammates had more experience in the field, but they could also understand Nick and Jaq's point.

"What are you thinking, Spence?" Angel called out from above the Helcat.

"Our Zoids are a good match for their Zoids. It's all good, in theory."

"What are you talking about? We could do it! When have the Ice Daggers taken a mission they couldn't handle?"

"Hold on a second. To the outside world, we are a respected mercenary unit. If we tangle with the Guardian Force in battle, it would destroy the way others see us." Angel was trying to explain a valid point.

Nick interrupted her, "Since when have been good ol' honest soldiers?"

She gave him a disgusted look. "Listen to me very carefully. The point of keeping our reputation good is so we never have anybody becoming suspicious of our other activities. If you give the GF a hint, they'll investigate every village we've been through and begin noticing a pattern. An assassination here and a few sabotages there can't be passed off as simple coincidences."

Nick was getting irritated, "Do you really think they're that great?"

She hopped down from the top of her Zoid. "I think you of all people should know how dangerous it is to underestimate your enemy."

A memory flashed through Nick's mind. A year ago, he was sitting in his Gunsniper on the top of a hill on the edge of a jungle. He didn't see the Ptera Striker coming and it completely destroyed his Zoid.

"Fine, I hope your plan is full proof."

"Don't worry about it, it's perfect."


	4. Ice Daggers

"How about we go home? I've finished my work for the day and it'd be good to do something together, as a family." Van put his hand on Fiona's back to assure her.

Fiona looked into her husband's eyes with complete love and adoration. She felt very lucky to have him with her because he made her feel safe. She looked at Zeke as he was watching the young boy. He also made her feel that she and her son were safe.

"I thought you were anxious to test out the new Liger?"

A voice came from behind them, "Who says Van's the one who gets to test it?"

Van turned around quickly and was relieved to see a familiar face. "Irvine! When did you get back?"

"Taking three days for a-seek-and-destroy mission wasn't necessary. I guess the father in you took some precautions that the old Van wouldn't have."

The captain smiled with Irvine. "Coming back early is just your way of showing off."

He gave Van an innocent look while he took some papers out of Thomas' hand. "And what do we have here?"

"The new age of Zoid battles." Thomas replied.

Irvine's eyes scanned the papers quickly. He gave out a low whistle when he was done. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"I think you'll be seeing it very soon. If the preparations of the Liger Zero and the conversion armor systems are through, then I don't see the point in wasting any more time." Herman looked at the noon day sun. "We'll get the testing ground ready for tomorrow night. I'd love to see this Zoid in a night-fight."

Colonel Schubaltz nodded in agreement. "I don't think that would be a problem. We'll let Van and Irvine go flip a coin. The pilot better be ready for tomorrow."

Thomas finally realized he was being left out of the candidate selection. "Wait a second! Don't you think Beak and I would be the better choice? What better way to test out the full potential of the Liger?"

Dr. D shook his head and looked directly at the three young pilots. "If you want to see the actual potential of this Zoid, then no organoids or A.I. allowed. I think he'll amaze us all with what he can do with just a pilot. We'll see about adding enhancements only after a thorough test."

Fiona finally entered the conversation again. "I agree with Dr. D. I think he's ready to show us what he can do by himself."

Her son remained silent through the entire discussion. Zeke was just as quiet as they both sat and stared at the snow white Liger. It was hard to imagine what could be going on through their minds.

All of sudden, the boy was lifted in the air and onto the shoulders of his father. "I think it's time we head back home. Irvine and I have a lot to talk about."

"As long as you feed me." He retorted.

"Zeke, will you be coming with us this time?" Fiona had to force the organoid to look away from the Liger. He responded with a quick shake.

A soldier gave them a ride back to their quarters. When Irvine stepped into the small house, his eyes laid on a picture of Van's father and Colonel Krueger. He picked up the picture and compared Van and his dad. The physical resemblance was amazing. He remembered something that Van said the day his son was born.

"I want to be a father to him."

"Yeah Van, that's what you do. Fiona is the mother, so that leaves you with the job of being the father." Irvine knew he was being serious, but he couldn't help joking around.

"You know, I miss him." Van smiled at his newborn son, but his eyes were filled with sadness.

Irvine wasn't quite sure what to say. He stared at the baby along with Van.

"Did you hear what I said? Hey, Irvine! What's up?" Van broke his train of thought.

"I wasn't paying attention. Did you say something about food?"

Van let out a huge sigh. "Fine, we'll eat and then we'll talk about the Liger."

"Aren't you interested in the mission I just came back from?"

Fiona became aware of Van and Irvine's conversation. "I thought it was just to track a group of bandits that had been raiding supply depots."

Van looked at his wife and explained to her that that was the main objective, but the secondary objective was just as important. "It seems there's a mercenary group that hires themselves out to villages as protectors. The Guardian Force just wants to make sure that's all they're doing."

"The two villages I stopped at on the way here, seemed to have nothing but high praises for the lance. They pay all they can, and their supplies are well defended. The bandits seemed to run into a battle wherever this lance was."

"So this group of mercs is doing what they say they're doing?" Fiona thought that was odd. Nothing ever is what it seems.

"Looks that way."

"Something tells me that you don't really believe it." Van wanted to know what Irvine was thinking.

The old friend leaned forward onto the table. He began to take a few bites out of his dinner before he spoke. "There is nothing unusual that I've noticed. But it would be a good idea to keep an eye on them."

Fiona began to giggle and Irvine looked at her completely baffled. "What's so funny all of a sudden?"

She tried to stop giggling long enough to tell him. "When Van and I first met you, you were just a mercenary out to get Zeke for yourself. Now you don't trust them?"

Irvine looked at her and smiled. "Well, trusting me wasn't such a bad thing, was it?"

Van answered him, "Nope, it sure wasn't, although it took me a long time to come to that conclusion."

He gave a fake look of hurt at Van and began to eat again.

"What do you know about the pilots of the Ice Daggers?" Van returned to being serious.

"I don't know much except their names and the Zoids they pilot. I sent in request for background checks; that should help out a lot."

He finished eating quickly and shared his knowledge of the group. "The leaders of the village had to go through a woman, Angel, for all business deals. I've been told she's the one that came up with the plan that trapped the bandits. She and another girl, Jaq, used the stealth mode of their Helcats to set an ambush for the bandits. Once they were chased out of the storage place, an Iron Kong and Zaber Fang finished the job. That's when we arrested the thieves."

"Do you have names for the other two pilots?"

"One is Spence, and the other is Nick. I hardly have any information on them."

"That's fine. Once the background checks come through, we'll know all of them like family."

Fiona looked as if she had something on her mind. Irvine asked her what was wrong. She replied, "Did they get their Zoids legitimately?"

"The registration is legal and shows that they are the owners of the Zoids. The question is: where did they get the money? When villages hired me out for protection, I don't remember getting rich quick. They have to divide the reward between four people. It just makes me wonder."

Van didn't know the answer to the question. "Right now, let's concentrate on the Liger Zero. The Zoid has three different armor systems, so each one of us could test out the Liger. How does that sound?"

"Fine, I'll take the fast Liger, you can take the blade unit, and Thomas gets the leftovers." Irvine was satisfied.

"The last unit is the most powerful. I wouldn't call that a leftover, Irvine." Fiona was right and Irvine's face fell.

He shrugged, "I'd rather be fast and agile."

"We'll find out what the new Zoid has in store for us tomorrow night. Maybe we should head back to base and run your Lightning Saix through a systems check. You can also give your briefing to Herman."

Fiona looked at her husband as he got up from the table. "I thought you said you were going to spend time with your family?"

Van looked at Fiona nervously, "Well, I, uh, I guess a captain's work is never done. Besides, somebody doesn't look interested in quality time right now."

She looked over at their son, who was asleep on the couch. She gently lifted him into her arms, and began to take him to his own room. "And a mother's work is never done." She finally smiled and Van looked relieved.

"You better report to Herman when we get back."

"Yeah, I know."

"I'm glad you finally accepted being a part of the Guardian Force, Irvine." Fiona had a huge smile on her face.

"I'm only in debt to the GF, so when I pay them back for the Lightning Saix, I'm—"

"Going to continue to take on more missions, because it's what you love to do." Van saw right through Irvine.

"Hey," He looked flustered for a minute, "I guess I can't win in this argument, can I?"

Van and Fiona both shook their heads quickly.


	5. Time to Plan

Nights were absolutely beautiful on Zi. The two moons rose triumphantly and replaced the blazing sun. Angel was deep in thought, staring at her surroundings in the moon's light. Jaq walked up and stood beside her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Making sure my plan is full proof."

"Do you always think about work?"

She looked over at her associate, "What do you think about at night?"

Jaq didn't want to reply. Angel knew the answer anyway. "Jacquelyn, do you ever regret running away?"

She seemed amused at the question. "I wouldn't call it running away. I'd call it, searching for an adventure. I couldn't exactly find that in a military family, now could I?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Besides, running away means someone is chasing after you. I haven't had that problem." She smiled, but the rest of her face didn't express the emotion.

"Is this a party I'm unaware of?" The girls were interrupted.

"Afraid you're being left out of something, Nick?" Jaq looked at him with a grin.

"It looks to me like you two were discussing something serious." Spence was slightly taller and broader than Nick, but he easily snuck up behind him and surprised everybody else, as well.

"I was thinking about my plan to get the Liger, that's all."

"You mean you were going to reveal your dazzling strategy to everyone else but me?" Angel couldn't tell if Spence was kidding or serious. He had always been a hard person to read.

She shook her head at him just in case he was serious.

"Tell you what, you tell us your plan, and I'll tell what I heard in the village today."

Spence got everyone's attention quickly with that statement. Angel looked alarmed and led everybody in the building. "Let's talk, then."

The lounge area seemed to be the most heavily used. There were rooms upstairs, but looking at the organization and neatness, it was apparent that the group didn't make it up there too often. Mercenaries move from village to village in search of more battles and money. Since the Guardian Force's inception, the Ice Daggers had to watch their backs and be smart to stay in business.

Angel claimed the couch first. "I'm listening."

Spence sat in the chair in front of her, while Nick took a place beside him. Jaq remained standing.

"I was taking a walk in the village, when a local informed me of something very interesting. After we took out those bandits, someone from the GF came and arrested them. He also decided to strike up a conversation about the group that was responsible for taking out the crooks."

Nick was about to say something when Angel signaled to him to calm down. "What did the guy say? Who was he talking to?"

"He was talking to the Lightning Saix pilot. The villager didn't say much, except he had heard what we did for the previous town and was satisfied with the results. I guess Irvine didn't press the issue too much."

"Do you think this means they know something?" Jaq looked concerned.

Angel's mind was thinking about all the different possibilities. The rest of the team looked at her intently.

"Just because you're staring, doesn't mean I'll come up with something any sooner."

Jaq looked at Nick, who looked at Spence. Spence finally spoke up, "They might suspect something, but they can't prove anything. It means we have to get the Liger and get out of here, before they can prove something."

"So, how are we going to get the Liger? If they know it's us, then we'll be hunted down." Nick didn't think highly of being in prison the rest of his life.

"The key to any successful mission is the element of surprise." Angel was ready to reveal her plan. "We have to keep them preoccupied with something else." She got up and went upstairs to her room. Within a minute, she was back down with a picture in her hand.

"I took this when Spence and I were on recon. I haven't shown any of you this picture yet, but you'll see that he is the key part of our plan."

Angel let the picture fall down to the table. Each member of the team looked at the photo, then at Angel. Each one had a look of disbelief on their faces.

"If the Guardian Force is snooping around, then we'll have to move up the time table."

"What does he have to do with this?" Jaq pointed to the picture.

"Everything, if you allow me to explain." Angel motioned for the rest to sit down.

"First, we have to get the Liger away from all the security measures. If Van and the rest of his team feel threatened, they will move the Liger. We can take the Zoid during transportation."

"I see. That's where he comes in; he'll be the reason they feel threatened." Nick liked what he heard so far.

"Who'll take care of him?" Spence was following the plan, too.

"Kidnapping has never been my style, but this new Zoid will be worth the trouble." She smiled down at the picture of the blonde-headed, green-eyed baby boy.

"Who'll pilot the Liger?" That was the only thing on Jaq's mind.

"We need fast Zoids, and we'll only need three. Spence will go with one of us, and he can pilot the Liger out. We should be able to strike halfway between transportation."

"Wait, they'll still know it's us by the Zoids."

Angel shook her head at Nick. "Not with the new ones."

"What new ones?" Jaq's jaw dropped.

"It's late for a delivery, but with the last real paycheck we got, it should be no problem. The guy said he'd be here around midnight to drop off the new Zoids, and then he'll pick up the old ones."

"You did use the same guy we use all the time, right?" Spence didn't want anything going wrong now.

"Of course I did. I hope you like the new Zoids." She had a sly grin on her face as she looked at the rest of her team. "I'll keep my end of the plan by striking tomorrow night. I've noticed their organoid has been staying put at the base, so sneaking into the house shouldn't be a problem. I'll take something with me to pacify the kid. I should be in and out within five minutes. We should prepare the new Zoids tonight to make sure everything runs smoothly for when we attack."

"Speaking of the new weapons, I hear somebody now." Spence got up and looked out the window. A Gustav was carrying three Zoids behind it. He spotted one Command Wolf, a Shield Liger, and a Storm Sworder.

"I don't believe it. How did he get his hands on these Zoids?" Spence was still staring out of the window while the rest of the group went outside.

Jaq opened the back cargo door to the hangar. All four lance mates jumped into their Zoids to move them outside. After Angel moved her Helcat, she talked to the transporter, asking him if all the modifications had been met.

"Have I ever let you down before?" He watched the new Zoids move off and the old ones being loaded.

"If we weren't paying you so much, I'd say we owe you."

"Just doing my job, ma'am."

The Zoids took everyone's breath away. Nick immediately took to the Command Wolf. He was pleasantly surprised by the upgraded engine. Jaq looked over the Shield Liger thoroughly. She tried out the shield and noticed the energy was running higher than normal.

"I must say, when you order Zoids, you know exactly what you're doing." Jaq looked over at Angel and the Storm Sworder. "You two look like a match made in heaven."

Angel beamed with pride at her new Zoid. "All three Zoids are white to match the new Liger. It will look less conspicuous that way. It'll also help once we paint the Ice Dagger symbol on them. We'll worry about that after we have the Liger Zero."

Spence was making inspections on everyone's new Zoid. "What makes you think I can pilot the new Liger?"

The brunette shrugged, "You're first Zoid was a Shield Liger, before you created the Ice Daggers. A relationship between a Zoid and its pilot never really goes away."

He was shocked that she remembered the story he told her when they first met. "There's a difference between my Shield Liger and this new one the Guardian Force has created."

"True, but the spirit of the Liger is still there. You'd be able to recognize that better than any one of us."

Piloting Zoids is a difficult task, but if you find a way to connect to the Zoid and stick with it during the rough times, then it makes for an amazing partner.

"I'd like to be prepared for anything, Angel. Tell me, what if kidnapping Van's son doesn't work? What if it just makes him and his friends come after us? I'd rather be the hunter, not the prey." Nick was making a convincing point.

"Jaq is our sabotage expert. You and her can make a good reason for the GF to move that Liger. That will be our contingency plan. Van is a real family man, if his family is threatened, he'll have all the reason in the world to move them. Wherever they go, Thomas and Irvine go, followed by the Liger. We'll get it, one way or another." Angel's eyes seemed to trial off and wander some place else entirely. This would be the most difficult mission she took and the most satisfying.


	6. Time for Action

Fiona had been having restless nights since the Liger project had begun, but tonight was the worst. Her dreams were overtaken by a vicious nightmare. She immediately sat up in bed and began crying. Van woke up right away and worried about his frightened wife.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He had a hard time waking up, but shook off the sleep when he saw tears stream down her face.

She looked at her husband and jumped out of bed. She ran down the short hall to her son's bedroom and turned on the light. Her son looked confused as he saw his disheveled mother race towards him. "You're safe, oh my boy, you're safe!" She kept murmuring the words to him over and over.

By this time, Van was behind her trying to calm her down and take the scared child out of her trembling arms. "Honey, will you please tell me what's going on?"

Out of nowhere, dark storm clouds began to form, and rain fell down with a heavy force. Fiona walked over towards the window and looked at the storm. She looked at Van holding their son.

"You know what I always call him when stormy weather hits?"

"Yeah, I remember. You said he's your 'little bit of sunshine on a cloudy day.'"

"I couldn't imagine what I would do if anything happened to him." His green eyes raced between his mother and father. Van looked down at him to reassure him, and motioned to Fiona to let him get back to sleep.

"I can't leave him!"

"Fiona, please keep your voice down, you're scaring him. Let's talk about this away from him." He whispered to her to keep the boy from hearing.

"But, Van--"

"Let's go out to the living room to talk about this. We're both up now, nothing's going to happen."

"But something might happen, I can feel it."

"Fiona, let's go." He raised his voice slightly and grabbed her hand to lead her out of the child's room. He hated being rough with her, but she was acting so strange.

While Fiona sat in the living room, Van went to the kitchen to warm up a glass of milk. It seemed like a better idea than salty coffee.

"Here, drink this."

She grabbed the mug, but didn't take a drink. She looked at Van and then down at her drink. "You must think I'm losing my mind."

Van sat down beside her and held her hand. "That thought never entered my mind. You know I love you and our son."

His smile didn't feel as reassuring as it usually did, and that bothered Fiona more.

"You'll feel better after you tell me why you felt so scared."

She decided to start at the beginning, when she first began to have those troublesome nightmares.

"When Dr. D had originally come up with the idea for a new Zoid, I didn't have a problem with it. We discussed it with everybody and got their input. I still thought it was a wonderful idea."

"Are you having regrets about the Liger Zero?"

Fiona shook her head, nodded, and shook her head again. "I think I wouldn't have such a problem with the project if it wasn't for the dreams."

Van looked shocked, "You never told me about any dreams."

"I didn't want to worry you. Besides, I know that you have a lot to handle."

"But it doesn't mean I don't have time for you."

"I know, Van. I passed the dreams off as nothing. Whenever you create something this important, you'll always have doubts or worry about what other people will do."

"What other people? Were you alarmed when you heard Irvine talking about the mercenaries?"

"Those mercenaries can't be trusted." Van hated it when Fiona talked ominously, but he felt the same way.

"I know. Their profiles are too clean, it doesn't add up. Tell me why you feel they can't be trusted."

Fiona didn't know how to explain it, so she laid it all out for Van to decide for himself. "Every time I visit the hangar where the Liger is being kept, I always feel as if somebody's watching me. It scares me, because I usually take our son with me, and I don't like the idea of somebody watching him. Van, my nightmare was so real."

Her words unnerved Van, but he remained strong while he sat beside her. "What happened, Fiona?"

"In my dream, you were testing the blade unit by running it through the course. The stats were unbelievable. The Liger was exceeding all our expectations. Then, the base came under heavy fire. There were aerial and land Zoids. We were all taken by surprise. You began to attack the invading forces, but they were so many. Irvine and Thomas ran to their Zoids and began helping you, but it wasn't enough, they were just too many of them. I've never been so scared!"

"We've faced a lot of powerful enemies in our time. We defeated them, and we can defeat anything else. The defenses at the base are set at maximum. You don't have to worry about a surprise assault." Fiona's warning made Van's mind race with all new potential threats.

"The dream ended so horribly..." Her words trailed off as she began to sob again.

Van took the mug out of her hand, and held her close to him. "It'll be okay, Fiona, I swear. I'm not going to let anything happen to our family or the Liger. Everything will be okay."

Once again, Van thought of his father. Major Dan Freiheit risked his life to save the Wind Colony, but he and his sister had to grow up without a father. He couldn't imagine putting his own son through that, and he would do all he could to ensure that wouldn't happen.

"The Liger Zero is going to be a powerful Zoid, and it can't fall into the wrong hands. Please, don't let that happen, Van."

"I won't, Fiona."

Fiona curled into a ball at the side of Van. He slowly stroked her hair until she fell asleep. The rain subsided, and the sun was beginning to peek through. Dawn was a wonderful sight to see. The sky was a mixture of pink, red, orange, and blue. Van's eyes felt heavy and he wanted to fall asleep, but he had to talk to Irvine and Thomas about Fiona's nightmare. He gently laid his wife down on the couch and covered her with a nearby quilt. His side ached from her lying on him all night long, but he didn't mind. After getting dressed in his uniform, he called Irvine from the bedroom.

Irvine was too grumpy to talk so early in the morning, but he agreed to meet Van at the hangar. Thomas didn't seem bothered by the early morning call, and agreed to meet him, too.

He didn't want to wake Fiona, but he didn't want to leave her alone. He decided to go to his son's bedroom and see if he was able to get any sleep.

Gently, without making a sound, he walked into the small bedroom. He was fast asleep in his crib as Van stood there watching. "_If there was ever a time for Fiona to be wrong, please, let this be it." _Van wouldn't hesitate to make the same sacrifice his father did, but he couldn't bear to leave his family. At least Van was lucky enough to remember his dad, but would his son be able to remember him if something were to happen now?

Fiona looked so peaceful sleeping in the living room. Van left her note explaining what he planned to do and exactly where he would be. He made sure to tell her that he loved her, and everything would be fine.

A soldier of the base was patrolling outside, so Van ordered him to keep a careful eye on his quarters. "Under no circumstances, should Fiona and my son leave her without an escort, is that understood?" Van's order was fierce and the soldier nodded quickly.

Irvine and Thomas were already at the Liger's hangar when Van arrived. His dark eyes and gruff appearance worried his friends.

"What's the emergency? What happened to you?" Irvine handed Van a cup of coffee.

"I was up all night watching Fiona. She had a nightmare, or a vision; I'm not sure what you want to call it.

"Is she okay?" Thomas was concerned.

"I think so; she was asleep when I left."

"What seems to be the problem?"

Van pointed to the ivory Zoid standing in the center. Irvine and Thomas looked at each other in bewilderment.

The captain explained to his partners what happened last night. He told them about Fiona's sleepless nights and how they started when the Liger project began. He walked them through Fiona's latest nightmare, as they stared at him in disbelief.

"She doesn't want anything happening to this Zoid. She said it was too important for it to fall into the wrong hands."

"I'm sure you did everything you could to reassure her, and you don't have to worry. Security's on full alert and the test will be over with tonight." Thomas didn't feel like he was helping.

Van nodded, "I told her not to worry, but then all these thoughts began to run through my head, and I feel just as nervous as she does."

"What do you need us to do?" Irvine finally spoke up again.

"We need to go through all the security measures ourselves, and then run over any plans we have in case the Liger is stolen."

"We can postpone the test until we run over everything."

"It might be the best thing to do." Van's fear was being replaced by confidence. He prayed everything would work out fine.


	7. Rising Stakes

Author's Note:  I thought I would do a double update this time to keep things interesting, since I haven't been able to update in a couple of weeks.  I also wanted to go ahead and let y'all know to stay tuned for the sequel to this story.  Hope everybody stays interested!  Thanks for the reviews so far!

The Ice Daggers had spent all night working on the new Zoids, with the exception of one. Spence had gone out before daybreak to do one more recon sweep of the base. He brought bad news with him.

"Do you want the good news or bad news first?"

Angel didn't like the way that sounded. "Let's hear some good news for a change."

"Well, we know they haven't found the bugs that Jaq planted in the hangars because I was able to hear exactly what they were planning. But all that might change."

"So what's going on?"

"They're going to do one major sweep of the base to prepare for the test. It seems the original date for the Liger Zero test was tonight, but something has them spooked."

"I hope you had an opportunity to take out the bugs." Jaq looked concerned.

"I couldn't even get near the place with everybody running around. I set them on self-destruct. At least there are no traces of us being there, now."

"Good. So what has them spooked? We've been so careful." Nick was a professional hit man, so he didn't like the idea of leaving a trace.

"It's hard to explain. It looks like the captain's wife doesn't want anything to happen to that valuable Zoid. Does this change anything, Angel?"

"Where's Van now?"

"He went back home. By the way, their house is under twenty-four hour surveillance."

"I don't like the way this sounds, Angel." Jaq was hoping she had a back-up plan. Angel didn't fail her, either.

"If the captain is worried about his family and the new Zoid, it really doesn't change anything. We can still make them transfer the Liger to another base."

"How?"

"I didn't want to do this, but if it means getting that Zoid, then it must be done."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to put out a bulletin. It will state a reward goes to anyone who can capture the son of Captain Van Freiheit."

"Why didn't you want to do that?" Nick didn't see the problem with doing that in the first place.

"You can expect problems if you add too many people into this."

"Do you think anybody will stumble on the new Zoid while trying to snatch the kid?"

She thought carefully before speaking, "As classified as the Liger Zero is, they shouldn't. A lot of people have a grudge against Van, so they should be more concerned with revenge. I'll post the bulletin now. It shouldn't be too long before there's a response. You know how fast the underground word spreads."

"We can still do this." Jaq was relieved.

"Yes, remember, you always have to be flexible. No plan ever goes without a hitch."

Spence asked one more question, "What if Van finds out about the bounty on his son?"

"The idea is to get the Zoid transferred, and if Van or anybody else finds out, it will still get what we need accomplished."

"You pretty much got if figured it out, don't you?"

"We all better hope so."

"Do you think whoever gets the kid, will kill him?" Jaq was asking out of curiosity.

"Maybe, but that's not our problem. They only have one purpose: to give the Guardian Force a reason to relocate the Zoid. Then, we can take it." Angel looked over to see the gleam in Nick's gray eyes.


	8. Hidden Enemies

Irvine left the base after the new security measures had been implemented. Thomas took the Dibison out on patrol. Zeke finally accompanied Van back to his quarters. The Liger was left under heavy guard at the base.

_"Could Fiona's nightmare come true? How would we not know if a massive Zoids attack was coming?" _Irvine was replaying what Van had told him as he walked through the local town. He headed straight for the bar thinking it was time for a morning drink.

Nobody really noticed him as he walked up to the bartender. He did get a few stares from the women, but that was about it. The bartender gave him a drink as Irvine stared at the different bottles in front of him. A young brunette bumped into him bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry about that." She ran off as soon as she said it.

"Hey, that's fine, wait a sec!" He called out to her, and stopped when he recognized her.

"Angel." A voice said the exact name he was thinking.

"How do you know her?" Irvine turned to look at the bartender.

"I don't know her personally, but I know she's part of the group that saved this village."

"So I've heard. How did you come across them?"

The bartender served another customer before answering Irvine. "Actually, the two guys of the group were in here one night when some people were talking about the raids. They offered their services and were hired by the city council."

"What was Angel doing in here now?"

"Drinking." The bartender cut off their conversation.

Over to his left, Irvine could hear two people talking.

"How much is the reward?"

He didn't hear a response.

"What?" It was a hushed yell; obviously the two didn't want to draw too much attention.

"Keep your voice down, man. Nobody even has to pay me for this; I'd gladly do it for free."

"Yeah, but with the Guardian Force around, we need money."

_"What's going on around here?" _Irvine didn't understand. He downed another drink.

Another conversation came from the table behind him. Strangely, it was about the same topic. Some reward had been posted, but he didn't know who issued it or whom the reward was for. He stuck around to see what else he could hear.

Thomas' attention was with the Ice Daggers. He had investigated them before, but the case was dropped when nothing could be proven.

The Dibison tried to stay hidden as it neared the mercenaries' headquarters. Beak whistled that it couldn't pick up anything on the radar. "I heard you, just keep it down!"

Thomas was worried about Fiona, but knew Van could take care of her. Beak whistled again and Thomas zoomed in on a figure walking in the dark.

"Jacquelyn. Wonder what she's up to?" Beak sounded an "I don't know" when Thomas shouted again, "It was a rhetorical question!"

Irvine's latest background check had shown that four Zoids had been registered to the lance. Thomas maneuvered the Dibison to get a side view of the building. He ordered Beak to use infrared to scan the building. Only three Zoids were showing up on screen. Thomas couldn't make out the blurry red images, but Beak did. It showed three completely different Zoids than what was originally registered to the Ice Daggers.

"What? Can that be right?" He'd actually have to see the Zoids registration numbers to know if they were legally obtained. He decided to return to headquarters and tell Van what he saw.

Van was talking to Zeke while they were walking back home. "I don't know what to do, buddy. Fiona's dream is bothering me more than you can imagine. The Liger Zero could be the greatest Zoid that anyone on Zi has ever seen, so it makes sense that it's a potential target. Fiona warned me not to let anybody take the Zoid, but what if I can't stop it?"

Zeke looked at Van and didn't even growl. It seemed as if he was thinking of what to do, also.

The captain chuckled softly, which made Zeke wonder what was funny. "I can't believe I'm laughing at a time like this, but I was just thinking about something. What if nothing happens at all? What if I caused all this panic at the base for nothing?" But Van's instincts were telling him different, "I doubt it. I sincerely doubt that we'll be able to run the tests without a problem."

The soldier that Van left to guard his family was still patrolling there faithfully. He looked exhausted, and was grateful when Van relieved him of his duties.

"Well, Zeke, we've been through a lot together. What are a few more battles going to do?" Zeke cooed gently and walked in behind Van.

"Zeke! I'm so glad to see you finally come home!" Fiona had dark circles under her eyes and hadn't changed clothes from the night before.

"I'm glad to see you, too, honey." Van looked at his wife petting Zeke.

"Oh, Van!" She hugged him and didn't let go for a long time. "I missed you, so much."

Van held her tight, and told her that he had guards patrolling outside. He wouldn't have left them alone at a time like this.

"I know. The soldier came in here every so often, asking if everything was okay. You must have scared him, Van."

He rubbed the back of his head with his hand, "Sometimes you have to make sure they know when you're ordering them around."

He looked down at the sofa and saw his son fast asleep. Zeke took his regular position right in front of him, watching the little boy as he slept.

"How's the Liger?"

"It's still there. We decided to postpone the test while extra security measures were initiated. Thomas took up patrol around the base and I don't know where Irvine went."

Fiona sat down on the couch next to their son. Zeke curled up into ball on the floor. "They don't think I'm crazy?"

"Not at all," he held her hand, "they think they should take the advice of one of the senior members of the Guardian Force."

She smiled at him and he smiled back. He kissed her tenderly on the lips. She put her hand on his face and pulled away. "What are we going to do?"

"I told you, the Liger is under heavy guard. No one can get to it. I won't let them."

"Then why do I get the feeling it's still going to be taken?"

Van hated feeling like he couldn't do anything to protect his wife. "How about you get some rest? You've done all you can, and the rest of us have done all we can."

_"I wish it were they easy. I'm scared to even sleep, but I can't let Van know that. I don't want him to worry about me anymore."_

"We both need the sleep. I'll put him to bed, and then I'll go to bed."

"No, I think I'll do that this morning. I want, too."

She gave him a weak smile and headed to their bedroom. Van picked up his son and Zeke followed him. He tucked his son into bed, and watched him for a moment. He was hoping that everything would be all right, for his sake.

"I know you'd do anything to protect him, just like I would. Zeke, if anything should happen..." Zeke shook his head, like he didn't want to hear what Van was about to say. Van understood that it wasn't an easy topic to talk about. He gave him a pat on the head and left him to be with his wife.


	9. Countermeasures

Author's Note: So sorry! I seemed to have skipped this chapter when I was uploading. If things didn't make sense, than maybe this will help.

After drinking a few rounds, and getting nowhere fast, Irvine was tired of waiting. He was walking out, when he finally realized what everybody had been talking about.

A man and a woman were walking in, when he heard her say, "So the reward goes to whoever can capture Captain Freiheit's son? Sounds too easy."

Irvine stopped dead in his tracks, and then he noticed the couple looking hard at him. He kept walking in the direction of his hidden Lightning Saix. He climbed into cockpit and called out to Thomas.

"Thomas, can you read me? Answer me!"

A crackle came over the communication link, and Thomas answered back.

"Where are you? We need to talk, now!"

"Stop yelling! I hear you fine. What's the problem?"

Irvine repeated his question, "Where are you? I'll tell you what's going on when I see you."

Thomas told him that he was almost at his quarters. Irvine told him to stop and wait for him. "I just heard something that I need to tell Van, now."

"Whoa, wait a minute. If you go storming into Van's house, you're going to scare Fiona worse. Tell me what's going on first."

"I'm almost there, Irvine out."

The Lightning Saix saw the Dibison as it came out of the desert. Thomas popped open his cockpit when he saw the Zoid coming towards him. "What's the problem?"

"You're not going to like this." Irvine told Thomas about the eerie conversations he heard around the bar. "There's a bounty on Van's son. Wanted dead or alive."

Thomas fell back into the cockpit. "That can't be true! He's just a little boy!"

"Somebody wants to get to Van. They're just using his son as a tool." Irvine slammed his fist agains the Zoid.

"Who put up the bounty?"

"Who do you think?" Irvine was amused by Thoma's question.

Thomas was growing angry, "But we can't prove anything!"

"We don't have to go after them. We just have to get out of here."

"This should be what we need to get the colonels to transfer the Liger. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. I think we should leave now."

Irvine nodded his head, "We'll call out an order for all units to come back to base. That'll give us the support we need for the Liger."

Both warriors rode back to base. Thomas searched for his brother, while Irvine informed Rob what was going. All four met in command central.

"We need to contact Captain Freiheit and notify him that we're leaving tonight." Rob had all ready ordered for all personnel involved with the Liger project to prepare for transfer. "The rest of the battalion can stay here."

"Where are we going to transfer to?" Karl was looking at a map on a screen.

"Our safest bet would be Red River Base. Thomas, Irvine, go get Van and Fiona. They need to get out of her now."

"On our way." They both said in unison.

Thomas and Irvine took a jeep to get to Van's quarters on the opposite side of the base. There was only one problem they were discussing on the way there.

"How are we going to tell Van and Fiona their son is most wanted?"

Irvine glanced at Thomas, but kept his head towards the destination. "I don't know. I'll just start from the beginning and tell them everything I heard."

"Do you know how long bounties last?"

Irvine stopped the jeep in front of Van's house. He looked at Thomas and slowly shook his head, "You don't much outside of a soldier's life, do you?"

Thomas wanted to get angry, but knew Irvine was right.

"The bounty stays as long as the reward is still offered."

"Van's son could be in danger all his life." He had to think about each word as he said it.

"If you want to think negatively about it."

"He's barely even begun to live, and somebody all ready wants him dead."

"Stop thinking like that, otherwise you're going to scare Fiona even more."

That was the last thing Thomas wanted. He was nervous knocking on the door. He was about to tell a mother of a one-year-old that her son was in grave danger.

Van answered the door, and immediately didn't like the look on the faces that greeted him back.

"What's going on?" Van whispered in the dark.

"We're transferring the Liger Zero tonight. Colonels Schubaltz and Herman's orders." Thomas definitely didn't want to be the one tell Van the bad news.

"What? Why? What's going on?" Van was careful not to raise his voice, but it was too late. Fiona walked into the room and asked what was going on.

"I just got orders that we're relocating to another base, that's all."

"No, that's not all. Please tell me what's really going on."

Irvine and Thomas glanced at each other quickly. Fiona caught it and began to talk directly to Thomas.

"I know you wouldn't lie to me, Thomas, so what else is going on? Please, don't be afraid to tell me."

Thomas hated looking into Fiona's worried eyes. He looked at Irvine, who decided to tell both parents what he heard.

The wind could be heard howling outside, if not for that, the room would have been completely silent. Fiona sat and stared at the ground in disbelief. Van sat next to her with his head buried in his hands. Thomas and Irvine stood near the door and didn't say a word.

The silence broke when the baby could be heard crying. It was the strangest sound Van and Fiona had ever heard. The only other time he had ever cried was when he was first born. Could he sense what was going on only a short distance away from him?

Fiona rushed out of the room towards her son. She saw Zeke gently rubbing the child with his head. When she saw her son reach out to her, she began crying right along with him.

Van finally came back to reality and walked into his son's bedroom. Fiona was trying to rock him back to sleep, but her crying was only intensifying his. He tried getting him out of his mother's hands, but she wouldn't let go. Fiona looked at her husband through heartbreaking eyes. The only other time Van felt so helpless was when Fiona had left him after the fight with the Deathstinger.

At last, Van spoke, "We can get out of here tonight, and nothing will happen to our son."

"It's just like my dream." She said it so softly that Van didn't understand it.

"What did you say?"

"I didn't tell you the rest of my dream. I'm so sorry, Van, I never told you the rest of my dream."

"Tell me now, Fiona. What are you talking about?"

"Our son will never know who we are."

Van was taken aback by what Fiona just said. She continued, "Death was chasing him, so we had to let him go in order to save him."

Fiona wasn't making any sense to Van. He didn't know what to say. What could he say?

Thomas and Irvine were in the hall listening to what Fiona was telling Van. They didn't understand and were just as baffled as Van.

"I just don't understand, Fiona. What do you mean?"

A burst of gunfire was exchanging outside the house. Zeke seemed to be shielding Fiona and her son. All three men cautiously went outside to see what was happening. A few soldiers had a man and a woman with their hands above their head. Irvine drew his weapon and stood beside one of the soldiers.

"What's going on? Who are these trespassers?"

"We caught these two sneaking around the captain's quarters. When we demanded identification, they began to fire. We retaliated and now have them in custody." The soldier responded.

Neither Van nor Thomas recognized the couple, but Irvine did. "These are the two that I heard outside the bar." He directed his next questions to them, "What are doing here? Who sent you?"

No answer.

"I'm warning you!" He raised his weapon and aimed.

"Irvine, it's not worth it. We know why they're here. Let the military police handle it." Van was remaining completely calm considering he had just been informed of a bounty on his son's head.

"Oh, no, Fiona!" He hurried back to his wife and saw her exactly as she was when all the commotion had begun.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that." Van looked into his wife's sad eyes.

"We have to protect him." She finally stopped crying and was able to rock the boy back to sleep.

"We will. You know I'd die before I let anything happen to him."

She had no expression on her face when he said those words. Zeke was giving them both odd glances. He could feel the tension in the room.

"Let's start getting our things together. I'll tell Irvine and Thomas to go on ahead, and we'll catch up later."

Fiona remained silent as she gathered her little boy's clothes and toys. Van could hear her discussing something with Zeke, but he couldn't tell exactly what she was saying. He left the two alone while he packed. Soon they would head to base and prepare for the transfer to Red River.


	10. Loyalty

Van's family walked in with solemn faces. Rob and Karl wanted to say something, but what could they say to ease terrified parents?

"We're going to put the Liger Zero on a Gustav and have three Zoids flanking it on either side. Van, you and the Blade Liger will be on one side, Irvine and the Lightning Saix on the other and Thomas will cover the rear with his Dibison. I've called in an expert transporter that I know we can all trust."

Rob stepped aside and opened a door. Moonbay walked in and made a weak attempt to smile. She had already been briefed on the entire situation. She dropped what she was doing to rush to her friends' side.

Fiona couldn't believe her eyes, "Moonbay! Oh, thank goodness, it's you!"

Van and the others were just as glad to have her there. Irvine tried to break the serious mood in the room, "So how much did they have to pay you to drag you here?"

Moonbay lightly punched him in the arm, "I think I gave Herman quite the bargain."

"I realize these aren't the greatest circumstances to be meeting again. But I agree with Fiona, we couldn't be happier to see you." Irvine said with a genuine smile.

The pleasantries had to wait until after the transfer to Red River Base. Each member of the Guardian Force was preparing their Zoids, while Fiona and Moonbay had a talk by the new Liger.

"It's magnificent." Moonbay was just as impressed with the Liger as everybody else.

"I trust you as much as I trust Van, Irvine, and Thomas." Fiona's statement had come out of the blue.

"I'm glad to hear it, but I have a feeling there's something you need. What is it?"

"You were informed of everything?"

"Everything." Moonbay said seriously.

"If something were to happen to me or Van…" Moonbay didn't let her finish.

"Don't think like that."

Fiona dropped her eyes, "I can't help it."

Meanwhile, Van was having a similar conversation with Zeke. "I don't know what you and Fiona were talking about, but it doesn't matter. Whatever it was, it's between you and her. Zeke, I need you to listen to me very carefully."

The organoid didn't like what he was about to hear, but he listened obediently.

"I want my son to grow up and be able to see the world. He's formed a bit of a bond with you and the Liger Zero, and I couldn't be prouder. He has his whole life ahead of him, and I won't allow someone to take that away from him. Maybe he'll be the greatest pilot the world has ever seen, or maybe he'll fight for continuing peace in another way. I need you to watch out for him no matter what. Be there for him, just in case I can't."

Zeke softly moaned and didn't look at Van. He gently patted the top of his head, and said, "Let's mobilize."

Another group was preparing to mobilize, also. It wasn't long before the Ice Daggers heard the Guardian Force was transferring the Liger Zero.

"Man, you're brilliant!" Spence called out from the back of the Storm Sworder.

"We'll celebrate after we get the Zoid. Remember, we'll keep them in range of the radar, and we won't strike until their midway to the destination. At that point, the forces that were escorting them from this base will withdraw, and it will be about ten minutes before the escorts from Red River get to them. That should be all the time we need. Anything more and we have failed."

Nick called out from the Command Wolf, "It shouldn't be too hard to disable the transporter. Once that's done, how are we going to get Spence to the Liger?"

"I'll drop him from the sky. They shouldn't notice him while you two are keeping them busy. After he reaches the cockpit, I'll give you guys back up."

"Aren't we forgetting something?" Jaq called out from the Shield Liger.

"Yeah, I know, but some sacrifices have to be made. We can't get both the Liger and the CAS's. Who knows though? We might get lucky. By the way, how does our new home look?"

Jaq was sent out to find a new place and move the important equipment there. "I think you'll be pleased."

"The Guardian Force won't know what hit them." Nick was supremely satisfied.

"Oh, and make sure the main target is still the Blade Liger. We should leave the captain with quite an impression." Both Nick and Jaq responded positively.

"Are you going to call off the bounty?" Nick asked.

"I don't think so. It'll prevent him from hunting for a while. We strike fast, and retreat just as quickly. We won't leave them with an opportunity to track us."

"Understood." The call came back from her teammates.


	11. Promises

Authors Note: The last two chapters are now complete! Upcoming sequel: The Son Rises

Zeke looked at Fiona before he fused with the Blade Liger. Her eyes met his, and they both gave a slight nod. Van noticed, but didn't think anything about it.

A small squad of Zoids led the Gustav and the Liger Zero out of the base. Dawn was beginning to break, but it was hard to tell with the dark clouds blocking the sun.

Fiona and her son were with Moonbay in the Gustav. The Gustav's thick armor would provide more protection than any other Zoid there. She and the boy looked over to her right and kept her eyes on Van and the Blade Liger. Van was doing the same thing in his cockpit. He called her up on the communication's link.

"How's my big boy doing?"

The small child smiled when he saw his father and reached out towards the picture. Fiona looked down at him and then at Van. "I bet he's going to be tired by the time we get to Red River."

"Nah, the son of the greatest Zoid pilot on Zi needs no rest!" He was trying to make light of the situation.

Irvine popped up on Van's screen, "So you think you're that good? As I remember, I beat you in battle a few times."

"Can it, Irvine. I don't recall such battles." Van smirked at his friend.

Thomas hated to be left out, so he decided to join in, "The Dibison is not to be taken lightly, Van. You should remember that from the first time we met."

They both smiled at the memory. Thomas had ordered Beak to take out all the targets on screen, including the Blade Liger. Van and Fiona evaded the attack just in time.

Fiona's son was getting restless and needed something to play with. She took off her gold wedding ring and held it in her palm. "Do you see this? You're father gave it to me along with a solemn vow. He promised to always love and cherish me all the days of his life. I made the same promise to him when I gave him his ring."

Moonbay remembered the wedding distinctly. "I was there, too. So were Irvine, Thomas, Karl, Rob, and Dr. D. Emperor Rudolph and the Madam President of the Republic were also there. Van's sister practically brought the whole Wind Colony with her. That was really a beautiful day."

Fiona whispered in her son's ear, "Just as beautiful as the day you were born."

Van remained silent as he kept a sharp eye out for trouble. A tear began to roll down his eye as he remembered what else he had promised Fiona.

"Have you thought about kids?"

Her ruby eyes looked into his brown ones. "Yes, I'd love to have children with you, Van."

He was very happy to hear that. He wanted to start a family with Fiona ever since he survived the fight with the Ultimate Deathsaur. "He'd be beautiful if he took after his mother."

"Or she could be just as headstrong as her father."

"Either way you see it, he or she would be lucky to have us as parents."

Fiona looked concerned when he said that. "What's wrong?"

"I just want them to grow up happy and healthy. I don't want them to have to be scared of people like Prozen or Hiltz. They shouldn't have to grow up in a world that is run by people with evil ambitions."

He took her hand in his, "With the rings, I promised to take care of you the rest of my life. I promise you, Fiona, with every fiber in my body, I would do the same for our children."

"Oh, Van! I know you would!" She threw her arms around his shoulders and he held on to her small waist.

Almost a year later, they welcomed their son into the world. Van could hardly keep up with how fast he was growing. Now, his promise would be put to the test, and Van refused to fail.

The caravan was making their way towards their destination. Nothing had come up on radar, but they were being followed.

"How's everything looking from up there?" Nick called out.

"It's almost time to act. I'll give the signal, then race up ahead. I'll be coming in too fast to be picked up on radar. You and Jaq should go full throttle until you reach them. Take out the Dibison and watch out for the Lightning Saix. I don't want him to get away and grab support from somewhere else. Last, but certainly not least, we have to deal with Captain Freiheit."

"I can't wait for this." Jaq was getting anxious.

"You don't have to wait anymore. I'm going now. GO!"

Angel and Spence ascended into the heavens and raced towards the Liger Zero. She could see on radar that Nick and Jaq had split up like they had planned.

A barrage of fire came from above and landed squarely on the Gustav. "What the hell was that?!" Moonbay couldn't pick up anything on radar.

Van called out an order, "Defensive maneuvers, now! Moonbay, you know what to do!"

Moonbay pushed a button and left the trailer carrying the Liger Zero behind as she raced towards the mountains. Van stayed with her as Thomas and Irvine surrounded the Zoid.

"What the hell are they doing?" Spence looked in disbelief at the scene below.

"Damned if I know. Nick and Jaq, watch your back."

The Shield Liger engaged the Dibison trying to lure it away from the prize. Nick was doing the same thing with Irvine's Zoid. Neither one of them left their position around the Liger.

"I don't like this, Angel. It's like they knew we were coming." Jaq was dodging Thomas' brutal attack. Nick wasn't having any luck against the Lightning Saix.

"Spence, I need to get you in that cockpit now." Spence was getting ready to make the jump when the Storm Sworder's sensors went crazy.

A charged particle beam narrowly missed the airborne Zoid. Angel looked in horror towards the direction of the beam. She couldn't see anything and began to feel trapped.

"I can still make the jump. Whoever fired that can't fire another one that quick. Let's go!"

Angel snapped out of her trance and was preparing to drop Spence again. Something bothered her as she looked over at the Blade Liger and the Gustav.

Van opened the cockpit and got Fiona safely aboard. They both looked at Moonbay through tears. "Take him and get as far away from here as possible. I don't want you to stop for anything."

He made out the words through choking sobs. Fiona looked at her son, "I can't bear this, Moonbay. Please protect him."

Moonbay was shaking as she nodded her head. "I promise you two, he'll grow up in a safe home. I won't let him forget who you are."

"You're going to have to, because he can't…" Fiona took a deep breath to steady herself, "he can't know who we are."

Moonbay was completely shocked; this isn't what they had discussed. "Van?"

"Go Moonbay! Take young Bit Cloud and get out of here. Now!"

Fiona looked at Van and attempted a smile, "A new name for a new life."

He nodded, "There's just one last thing. Zeke!"

The organoid separated from the Liger and stood on top of the Gustav. "I want Zeke to go with you. He'll be able to protect him. I know he will."

Fiona looked at the battle far behind them, "Van, let me tell you what I was telling Zeke."

"I don't think now is a good time."

"Yes, I have to tell you now! Please listen."

She had both Moonbay and Van's attention. "Zeke is a very special organoid. Each organoid has certain capabilities that they exceed at, just like pilots. Specula and Ambient had them, and so did Shadow. I was talking to Zeke and he agreed to make the sacrifice."

"What sacrifice?" Van's heart was pounding as he was taking in the new information.

Fiona held on to his hand as she said, "He can permanently fuse with a Zoid. If you want Bit to be protected, Zeke can do it in the Liger Zero."

Van looked over at Zeke who nodded his head. "Just watch, Van."

They squeezed each other's hands as they called out the order for the final time, "Zeke!"

The organoid obliged and went soaring in the air in a brilliant light. The scene stopped everyone dead in their tracks. Angel called out a retreat to the rest of the Ice Daggers.

Zeke lit up the dismal sky and fused with the Liger Zero. Immediately, the new Zoid was flushed with different colors and stopped back at white. He gave out a triumphant roar as the eyes glowed crimson red. Everyone saw it from a distance.

Thomas, Irvine, and Moonbay were breathless at the sight. The Ice Daggers began to fear what was happening.

Somewhere in the distance, a young man looked at the sight, too. He shook his head in disbelief. "So he'll never see his organoid again." The giant red Zoid stalked away into the morning.

Van finally stopped staring at the sight when he noticed the Command Wolf coming after him.

"If we can't have that Zoid, no one can!" Nick's reticule was right on the Gustav and he began to fire without hesitation.

Jaq didn't know what to do in all the confusion. She followed Nick's lead and began to attack the Gustav.

Moonbay and Bit were bounced around in the cockpit when they heard Van cry out, "I won't let you harm my son!"

He fired with everything he had, and soon Thomas and Irvine joined him. The Storm Sworder couldn't see what was going on in all the smoke and dust. She looked horrified as the Liger Zero took on a life of its own. It began to take on a golden glow as it streaked towards her. In one lethal swoop, the Liger tried to take out the wings of the Zoid. Angel quickly ascended back into the sky. She looked at the Guardian Force with burning hatred.

She and Spence saw their partners being arrested by Thomas and Irvine. Angel called out to Van, "If you think you've won, you have made a deadly mistake. As long as I live, your son will never be safe. He'll never know the touch of his mother's care or the love of his father. Remember that!"

Van began to chase after Angel, but was stopped by Fiona. "Please Van, let's have one last moment with our son."

Van's tears ran out of control. He walked the Blade Liger back to the Gustav, beyond the wreckage of a Command Wolf and Shield Liger. He overheard the girl say, "She always keeps her promises."

Fiona couldn't bear to hold Bit, for fear she wouldn't let go. "He'll grow up to be the greatest pilot the world has ever known. He has you as his father."

Van held onto his wife's hand, "He'll know in his heart what is right, just like his beautiful mother."

Moonbay was heartbroken. Bit had a confused look on his face, as if he couldn't understand why his parents were leaving him. He looked over at Moonbay who smiled to try to reassure him, "Or maybe he'll be a transporter of the wasteland." She was too hoarse to speak anymore.

Van and Fiona watched their son drive out of their lives. Thomas and Irvine stared at the back of the Gustav, each silently wishing him luck.

_"Goodbye, Bit. I hope you grow up to be just as brave as your father."_ Irvine thought.

_"Good luck, Bit. May the spirit of your mother fill you in your loneliest hours."_ Thomas silently prayed.

Another person had his own thoughts on the situation. _"Why worry, Van? He is the son of the pilot that defeated me. He's destined for greatness."_


End file.
